Hazards and Disasters- Risk Assessment and Response Optional Theme Hazards and Disasters- Risk Assessment and Response

From the Syallabus Environmental hazards exist at the interface between physical geography and human geography. Natural hazard events are often exacerbated by human actions, although conversely, human‑induced hazard events are also affected by natural environmental conditions. The principles involved in studying natural hazards are identical to those involved in studying human‑induced hazards.

The focus of this optional theme is on the full range of human adjustments and responses to hazards and disasters at a variety of scales. The term “natural disaster” is deliberately avoided in this theme because it is not considered to be an accurate reflection of the multitude of underlying reasons that expose people to risk and subsequently create the pre‑conditions necessary for a disaster to occur.

HAZARDS? You need to set up a google doc to summarise the case studies and how they link to the syllabus Use the definitions sheet to define 10 mins

On the post its Write any human or physical hazards 5 mins + classification initial = 10 mins

Hazards Hurricane Tsunami Drought Flood Earthquake Wildfire Volcanic Eruption Disease Epidemic Lightening HIV / AIDS Avalanche Radioactive Leak Tornado Chemical Explosion Landslide

Research the following characteristics: Geophysical process [Tectonic, Geomorphological, Atmospheric, Biological, Not Geophysical] Duration of impact [Instant, seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, decades] Length of forewarning [Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, decades] Spatial occurrence [At one extreme global ...] Scale of impact [Local, Regional or International] Frequency [between events of a similar magnitude] Predictability [easiness of prediction- random or consistent] Each take one example and research the characteristics Then reclassify – 15 mins

Hazard Characteristics FREQUENCY Frequent Rare DURATION OF IMPACT Instant Decades LENGTH OF FOREWARNING Seconds SCALE OF IMPACT Local International SPATIAL EXTENT Localised Global PREDICTABILITY Random Consistent Earthquake, Volcanic Eruption, Hurricane, Chemical Explosion. Sketch this diagram and add on your own examples – 20 mins

Are these hazards? A moderate landslide occurring on an uninhabited island. A magnitude 8.1 earthquake occurring near to a city with a population of 18 million people which sits upon an old lakebed. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake with it's epicentre in a sparsely populated area, 40 km from the nearest town, in the country ranked 12th in terms of the Human Development Index.

Lesson objective: To be able to distinguish between a hazard event and a disaster. Explain why this distinction is not always completely objective.

Hazards EXTREME NATURAL EVENT

VULNERABLE POPULATION Hazards VULNERABLE POPULATION

NO INTERACTION = NO HAZARD VULNERABLE POPULATION NO INTERACTION = NO HAZARD

SMALL INTERACTION = SMALL HAZARD VULNERABLE POPULATION SMALL INTERACTION = SMALL HAZARD

LARGE INTERACTION = LARGE HAZARD VULNERABLE POPULATION LARGE INTERACTION = LARGE HAZARD

Draw Venn diagrams for these events: A moderate landslide occurring on an uninhabited island. A magnitude 8.1 earthquake occurring near to a city with a population of 18 million people which sits upon an old lakebed. A magnitude 6.5 earthquake with it's epicentre in a sparsely populated area, 40 km from the nearest town, in the country ranked 12th in terms of the Human Development Index.

Use the official IBO Spec to define: Hazard Disaster Hazard Event Risk Vulnerability